Loving Your Family

What Would Nana Do?

September 24th, 2012
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When life hands me a difficult situation, I think about my Nana and wonder how she would have handled it.

My Nana gives me strength and inspiration because she lived a good and simple life. She and my Pop-Pop raised five children (including my mother) during the Depression on as much as $58 a week and for awhile on nothing because my grandfather lost his job.  During the time that there was no paycheck, they lived on canned goods that a relative got for free and and managed to keep their house and continue to feed and clothe their children. … Read More

I’m Sorry

September 18th, 2012
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Apologizing strengthens friendships I recently received a card in the mail and I recognized the handwriting right away so I knew before I opened the envelope who the card was from. What I didn’t know was why the card was being sent to me since it wasn’t my birthday and I hadn’t won the lottery so I knew it wasn’t mailed to congratulate me on anything that had happened in my life. I opened the card and read the handwritten words and was surprised and touched!  The card was an apology for something that had happened between us many years… Read More

Not On A Pedestal

September 17th, 2012
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I wrote a post in June about my “paper chase” through boxes of memos, computer printouts, handwritten notes and personal writings that belonged to my husband who died eight years ago.  I know.  I know.  Eight years and there are still lots of boxes sitting around waiting for my attention!  So this past weekend, I took a deep breath, decided to dig in and found the time to go through another box. You can choose to go through all of a loved one’s papers yourself or you can do what a friend of mind did when his wife died: he… Read More

No More School Days

August 22nd, 2012
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Me and My Son Lately, I’ve been feeling as though I forgot to do something and I keep trying to pinpoint what it is. The other day I was driving around doing errands, letting my mind wander and I think I finally figured it out. This is the first time in 16 years that I am not helping my son get ready for school. I was in a big box store over the weekend and a separate section had been set up just for school supplies.  I watched the parents with their children buying notebooks (No! Not that kind!  I… Read More

Self-Empowerment When You Are Ill

August 16th, 2012
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Good news is always worth sharing and today I have some to share with you. In February I wrote a blogpost about four friends of mine who are in different stages of battling different types of cancer. This week I learned that one of them went in for some follow-up tests and the results came back clean!  This is remarkable on so many levels.  This person chose an aggressive course of treatment and has also tried very hard to change the foods he eats, exercise more and even allow less stress into his life!  He is not home free but… Read More

Don’t Wait — Put It In Writing

August 10th, 2012
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When we miss someone, we sometimes search for something they gave us, such as a handwritten note, or something that belonged to them, such as a piece of clothing.  Seeing, touching and even smelling something they once used helps us feel closer, as though the person were with us. Whether the person died or moved away, you are feeling sad and you need to find something that will help you work through this lonely moment and perhaps even help you feel stronger for the future.  Handwritten letters or cards are particularly valuable.  I think everyone has a letter tucked away… Read More

Keep it Simple — John Wooden

July 13th, 2012
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I have no shame.  I look for inspiration any place I can get it.  This time I found it in a sports book. A guy in my office had this book sitting on his desk titled, “Wooden.”  Hmmm, I thought, this name sounds familiar but I couldn’t place it.  I opened the book and started reading about Coach John Wooden and his historic UCLA basketball dynasty winning 10 NCAA championships in 12 years, including 88 straight games. I sortof remember hearing my Dad talk about John Wooden and as I paged through the book I realized this is a guy … Read More

ER Awakening

July 12th, 2012
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I feel very lucky to have good health and after spending four hours in an emergency room Tuesday evening, I have renewed my commitment to doing all I can to preserve it. My Dad had an urgent eye incident and he needed immediate medical attention so we drove to one of the local hospitals here in Washington, DC and waited for a diagnosis.  You can debate the pros and cons of Obama’s health care bill until the cows come home but it all falls away when you are in an emergency room. Or maybe it’s that the harsh reality of… Read More

God Bless The Child

July 10th, 2012
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Children are not small adults who can basically raise themselves.  Children can be resilient but only to a point. Being the oldest of six children, having 35 first cousins and also being a mother has taught me that children are much smarter than we ever give them credit for, but that doesn’t mean that they understand all that is happening to them in their homes, schools or in the world at large. Their bodies, brains and emotions are still developing and they need all the love and guidance we can give them. I am a big believer in honesty when… Read More